Definitions
unit of length used in ancient times, equal to 7 or 8 Chinese feet 尺[chǐ]
Etymology phono-semantic
Phonetic:
刃
About
As a phono-semantic compound, 仞 combines the semantic radical 亻 (person) with the phonetic component 刃. It originally served as an ancient Chinese unit of length, typically equivalent to one person's outstretched arm span, about seven or eight traditional Chinese feet, varying by period. Due to this link to human scale, classical texts often used 仞 to measure the depth of water, the height of mountains, or the dimensions of buildings. Beyond its role as a unit, it can also function as a verb meaning to measure or fathom depth.
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